


halves of souls

by akaeijis



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, and silena/clarisse, aphrodite loves love!, aphroditing validating nico, focuses on Nico, mentions of patrochilles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 09:59:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19439128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaeijis/pseuds/akaeijis
Summary: Nico has a chance meeting with Lady Aphrodite. They talk about love, among all things — and Nico hates being toyed with by love gods. (Nico-centric)





	halves of souls

**Author's Note:**

> this has been in my drafts for a year idk why and how i was inspired i think by tsoa but i suddenly was motivated to start writing again and finished this today at starbux lol
> 
> i love nico very much he is my dear and very close to my heart and aphrodite isn't evil. he loves so much and deserves more. 
> 
> takes place after the blood of olympus and ignores everything after it.

Nico thinks he spends more time by the beach than anywhere else in Camp Half-Blood. Being back after all those months of traveling (if that’s what he can call months of precarious fighting and torture, then yeah), it’s a good welcome back home. Sure, he has a cabin now and he’s been on good terms with the campers for a while but he still comes back to the beach.

Maybe because it’s solitude compared to the rest of the camp, maybe it’s the wide open space (so, so open and he’ll never take it for granted due to those days spent _trappedtrappedtightsuffocating_ ), and maybe because it’s familiar to a younger, ten-year old version of himself who had a particular son of Poseidon constantly on his mind.

It started when he first came to camp; he often escaped to the beach when he wasn’t with the Hermes Cabin. Travis and Connor were great to him and so were the rest, but it was so lonely — Bianca was gone and sea green eyes were gone. It was where he went to think and breathe. Ever since, every time he returned to Camp Half-Blood he would go back to the ocean. He always needed some space.

The ocean felt like Percy (in a sense, Percy was a part of the ocean) — the salty breeze tickling his ears just like his voice and the crash of the tide was as loud as a heartbeat.

Of course, he doesn’t feel that way anymore — at least, not as strong.

And he’s back to the ocean.

The sun burns orange.

It’s dusk.

“What’s on your mind, young hero?”

Nico looks to his side. He’s seen her before; a price to pay when you constantly get involved in godly affairs. A goddess that was iridescent, changing appearance at every angle.  
The only thing that seemed to stay the same (but yet, always change) were her eyes: the color of the ocean.

The ocean is never truly the same color.

He bows. “Lady Aphrodite.”

Aphrodite raises her hand, “No need, let’s take a walk on the beach?”

It’s not like Nico really has a choice. He nods.

The goddess is wearing a simple peplos, the ones Nico recognizes from columns on the gardens of Olympus. It seems to reflect the ocean and moved with the tides. Her hair seems to be in tune with the sea breeze.

“I am a child of the sea,” Aphrodite replies as if she knew his thoughts. She stops and takes a seat on the sand. “This seems like a good place to rest, come, son of Hades.”

He bites his lips but complies. He really doesn’t like messing with love gods. “What do I owe this visit?”

“You are close to Clarisse, am I wrong?”

“Uhm, not really, we’ve talked a few times. She’s cool.” Nico shrugs. She came by a few times after the Titan War, saying he’s not that bad and would love to spar with him. She stopped by after the Giant War too. She’s a good sparring partner and great person to be around - doesn’t ask too many questions and conversations are light.

“Well, even if you aren’t, I’m sure you’ve heard about Clarisse, drakon slayer.”

“That I know.”

“And my daughter, Silena?”

“I know the whole story.” And the goddess turned her head, eyes sparkling like the how the sun glistens on water and Nico gulps. He regretted what he said immediately.

“Oh, do you?” Aphrodite seemed younger, maybe his age or Hazel’s. She lifted her chin and smiled, mischief radiating off of her.

Nico shrugs. “I guess not.”

“And I will tell you,” Aphrodite nodded. “You are the only one who knows, except for Clarisse. Maybe.”

The goddess touched the sea foam that reached their spot on the shore. “She loved Silena. The way you loved Percy.”

Nico’s heart still. This is why he doesn’t mess with love gods, they always mess him up, always tear him down, always make him a toy — why did he agree with this, with Aphrodite of all-

“She has Chris now, and they’re good together. He’s helped her overcome so much, and vice versa. I wouldn’t want anything to tear them apart. But Silena has always been the most important person to her, ever since they first met. Clarisse came to camp when she was about nine, Silena was already there. She was smitten immediately.” Aphrodite smiled. “And who wouldn’t be, she is my child after all.”

Nico didn’t realize his hands were in a fist until Aphrodite reached for them. “And I’ll tell you a secret: So was Silena. Young love.”

Aphrodite looked to the sunset wistfully.

“Why are you telling me this? I don’t like being played with by love gods, is it just to play around with me—”

“No,” Aphrodite’s eyes flashed, a bit dangerously this time. Nico knew to shut up. “I’m here to bless you.”

“As I was saying, they were in complete pure love. Then they met others, both who were good for them. But their love for each other never faded. You can lose feelings for people, but there will always be a place for them in your heart. I’m saying Silena and Clarisse were and are soulmates. You know the story. People have twisted it along the years, but it’s always been two halves of a soul, with the gender and body not mattering. The gods have never cared for that, I wanted you to know that.”

Nico looked away.

“You’re accepted Nico, you’ve been accepted. Mortals are foolish for setting up more boundaries around love.”

“O-oh.” His voice cracked. Why is she talking.

“I watched Silena charge into battle and I saw Clarrise defeat the drakon and I watched them both after all these years. I knew they were soulmates and will be reunited in the underworld, and one day, elysium. And be reborn together. For the isles.”

“What about Chris? Or Charlie?”

“Just because people are soulmates doesn’t mean they can’t fall in love with others. Silena loved Charlie purely and Chris and Clarisse are both incredibly in love. Love is funny like that. They’ll find each other again and their lives will be intertwined no matter how many times they are reborn. They’re soulmates, but it doesn’t dictate who and how they love.”

Aphrodite’s eyes reached the horizons, the final moments as the ocean seemingly swallowed the sun. Nico watched her eyes, they were timeless, of a goddess older than some stars.

“Watching Clarisse and Silena, I was reminded of another couple from a millennia ago. I’ve never seen a truer love, a truer bond between soulmates. I’ve given them my blessing to find each other each time they are reborn. Now they rest at the isles. Do you know this story?”

“A millennia ago?” Nico frowned. Was this a test? He didn’t know many ancient couples. He thought back to past missions. “Perseus and Andromeda?” His frown deepened. There is one lasting Greek love story. “Paris and Helen?”

Aphrodite laughed. But it wasn’t mean spirited. “Ah, no. Even though that was a truly romantic tale - a fight for the fairest of them all, a love that started a war.” Aphrodite sighed. “It’s alright if you didn’t think of the pair I’m talking about. They’re story wasn’t told accurately anyway. And I’ll tell you. One was a son of the sea as well. His mother is part of Poseidon’s court to this day. The way he fought, the strongest Greek of his era. Beauty blessed by heavens.” Aphrodite nodded to Nico. “You’ve met him before.”

Nico swallowed. It couldn’t be the one she was talking about because he couldn’t remember anything about romantic about him, but he took a shot at it anyway. “You mean, Achilles?”

“Yes, swift-footed Achilles. You know about the Trojan War, right?”

“Mostly about the start. I know a few warriors here and there. Bits of the Iliad.”

“Funny isn’t it, the things that love makes us do. Paris and Helen may have started the war, young half-blood, do you know what ended the war?”

“The horse?” Nico responded dumbly.

Aphrodite laughed, “No, the answer is also love. Achilles’ love for Patroclus.”

Nico didn’t say anything. He didn’t like being toyed with or being targeted.

“The war continued because Achilles wanted to prolong his life, but nothing good comes from messing with fate. It was foretold that Achilles’ death was a reflection of Hector’s, for he will die once Hector is dead. He tried to stop time, for love.”

“Patroclus took his armor, charged into battle. He died. Much like my daughter. When Achilles found out, his cries were heard all the way to the depths of the ocean. He fought again, after all those years of not. Achilles let go of humanity the moment he sought out Hector. Patroclus was his string to humanity.”

The tide was rising. The sun was gone.

“He finally ended the war due to his loss.” Aphrodite hummed. “However their strings are so tightly woven to each other, as their hearts beat as one. They are the truest thing to love that mortals can be.”

Nico didn’t say anything. He doesn’t know what this goddess wants.

“What I’m here for, young one. Is to tell you that love is powerful, and you have experienced it wickedly, but it is also beautiful and stronger than anything on Earth. Not only for romantic love, but for platonic and familial. We Greeks have words for the different types of loves.”  
Lady Aphrodite stood up.

“You are loved, Nico. My heart aches for you. You love so deeply but have been fighting for and against it for so long. I follow your journey plenty, because of that flame inside of you.”

She starts walking away.

“What humans and immortals do for love. I hope the future is brighter for you soon.”

And she’s gone, leaving traces of the scent of sea salt behind her.

The surf crashes onto the shore.

Nico breathes better.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope people still read this despite it not being a romantic / paired fanfic. leave a comment or something <3 hopefully writing more in general!
> 
> twt: @akaeijis


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